UNESCO BRIDGES and The Tairona Heritage Trust

We have recently begun working on the launch of an exciting new ecological project which combines indigenous and modern knowledge as part of a new UNESCO BRIDGES initiative. It's so exciting to be working on such a groundbreaking project, one that has the potential to offer a new route out of climate disaster. The project is in collaboration with the Tairona Heritage Trust (THT) who work to amplify Kogi voices. We had the pleasure of working with the THT back in 2012 on the launch of their film ALUNA at Sheffield Doc Fest. It's great to be able to work with them again.

Ahead of COP27, Colombia's remote indigenous Kogi people are working with two European scientists to jointly restore pieces of land and water sources in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta mountain range that have suffered years of modern exploitation. The Kogi believe they can restore it to its once flourishing state and regard themselves as guardians of the earth, an earth they fear we are destroying. The vision is to provide a template for ecological transformation that could be replicated across the world.

The scientists involved in the project Dr Rodrigo Cámara-Leret and Dr Ingrid Olivares from the University of Zurich have just returned from their first field trip which took place in July 2022. We look forward to seeing where this project leads us.

You can find out more about the Kogi and the Tairona Heritage trust here and more about UNESCO BRIDGES here.